Birthday special: Chetan Chauhan – Top 3 performances in international cricket
Chetan Chauhan was one of India’s underrated performers and a Test specialist during his international career that lasted for over a decade between 1969 to 1981. However, it is to be noted that Chauhan could only manage to get into the ODI team in 1978.
In the 47 internationals, he scored 2084 Test runs and 153 of them in ODIs. After cricket, Chetan Chauhan also tried his luck in politics. On the occasion of Chauhan’s birthday on July 21, here’s a look at his top three international performances.
3. 61 vs Pakistan, December 1979
Chetan Chauhan and Sunil Gavaskar have been involved in 11 century partnerships- 10 of them as openers. Even this happened to be one of them where the duo scored their half-centuries against arch-rivals Pakistan at Kanpur in December 1979.
The duo added 125 runs for the opening stand with Gavaskar scoring 81 and Chauhan 61 against a formidable Pakistan bowling attack, including the likes of Mudassar Nazar, Sikander Bhakt, etc as a competitive Test match ended in a stalemate.
2. 84 vs Australia, October 1979
Chetan Chauhan was India’s most consistent batter in the third Test at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur in October 1979. He scored 58 in the first innings which was instrumental in propelling India to a competitive score of 271, he went on to register yet another half-century in the second.
In India’s second innings, Chauhan scored a splendid 84 runs, showing a lot of resistance against some of Australia’s high-profile bowlers as India went on to post a mammoth 311. It was more than enough for the hosts as they registered a comprehensive 153-run win.
3. 97 vs Australia, January 1981
Chetan Chauhan went on to register his highest Test score in what happened to be the final year of his international career and the occasion came during the first innings of the Adelaide Test match in January 1981.
In fact, this was Chauhan’s best chance to finally breach three figures and he was so close to successfully getting the job done. Unfortunately for him, that was not to be as he was caught by Rodney Marsh off the legendary pacer Dennis Lillee for 97.
Even though the match ended in a stalemate, it will be remembered as a case of ‘So near yet so far’ for Chetan Chauhan as far as registering his maiden Test ton is concerned.
